The genitals of both men and women have been the source of much
fascination and controversy since the beginning of time. In more
recent history, these body parts have received much attention
from the scientific world. In the field of Psychology, for
instance, studies have been conducted regarding children's first
encounters with their genitals. Moreover, Sigmund Freud's
controversial "penis envy" and "Oedipus Complex" theories have
perceptibly centered on the male sexual organ.

However, this penis fixation did not begin with the advent of
psychosexual theories. Before science, the penis has already
become the object of much mysticism and religious activity in
ancient times. Many of the primitive, non-Christian societies
have included fertility and sexuality gods in their worship. In
those times the male sexuality was considered a source of power.
The perfect examples of these cultures are the Greek and
Egyptian. These two widespread and prominent civilizations
worshipped gods like Hermes and Dionysius as well as Osiris.
Dionysius is the Greek god of fertility, as was Hermes
initially. The latter, before becoming simply the Greek gods'
messenger, was a fertility idol denoted plainly by a penis.
Osiris on the other hand was the powerful Egyptian supreme god,
whose myth relates the tale of his brutal murder through
dismemberment. According to the legend, all his dismembered body
parts were retrieved except his penis, which plummeted through
the Nile Ri ver, thus making it fertile and life-sustaining.

Since their religious worship largely influences their art and
culture, the Greeks' and Egyptians' penis fixation may be seen
until the present time in preserved works of art and other
remnants of their civilization. Classical Greek vases, bowls and
other sculptures with phallic decorations or form are found
displayed in many museums and galleries. For the Egyptians, the
famous architectural wonder, the obelisk, represents a similar
regard for the

masculine genitalia.

Apart from the Greeks and Egyptians, countries like Peru and
India have also been known to celebrate the phallus. The
Peruvian pitchers with large spouts in the shape of a penis,
which may be found in various antique shops and exhibits,
represent the highly erotic Peruvian artistic period of Mochica.
Indian culture, on the other hand, is popular for its intense
sexuality and erotic mysticism. The Shiva Linga symbolizes their
worship for the God Shiva's powerful phallus, which nearly
destroyed all life had it not met Parvati's vulva and calmed
down.

From all this, it can be gleaned that the penis was widely
regarded as both powerful and potentially destructive. Indeed,
the god Shiva even had to castrate himself because he had become
promiscuous and seductive. Osiris' murder was provoked by his
sexual relations with his murderer, Set's, wife. Nevertheless,
the penis was then viewed with awe and majesty, and was
considered a far superior human organ. This ancient view has
far-reaching effects that remain apparent until the present. One
such effect is the idea held by many men and women that penis
size has some influence on masculinity and potency. Today, men
prefer to augment their penis size, subconsciously trying to
match the seeming enormity of the ancient penis. After all, with
such a glorious history of worship and celebration, penises in
ancient times did seem larger-than-life.

About the author:

Patrick Flanagan is a writer, and webmaster; for more
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